A fiery crash that killed one person and stopped traffic on northbound Interstate 83 in York Thursday likely was caused when a bed mattress fell into the roadway, state police said.

Brian Jacobs, 46, of Dillsburg, was killed after a tractor-trailer rammed into the back of his service truck, propelling him into the back of another truck and igniting a fire that quickly engulfed Jacobs' truck, according to a state police news release issued at 11:20 p.m.

Jacobs and the lead driver, Gordon Myers, 64, of Lewisberry, both were driving trucks for S&W Petroleum Services when, at about 4:45 p.m., they noticed the mattress lying in the right hand lane near mile marker 22 in Manchester Township.

Myers and Jacobs started to slow down but the tractor-trailer did not see the obstruction and failed to react in time to avoid hitting Jacobs' truck, police said.

Myers and the driver of the tractor-trailer, Michael Grandmaison, 51, of Maine, were taken to York Hospital shortly after emergency crews arrived.

Grandmaison reported suffering minor injuries but Myers still was listed with serious injuries as of 11:20 p.m., police said.

Traffic was shut down shortly after the crash and remained so until state police collision experts could finish their investigation. The roadway was reported partially reopened with a single lane restriction at about 11:40 p.m., according to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation traffic update.

The driver of the vehicle from which the mattress fell did remain at the scene and has been cooperating with police, according to the police news release.

If you, or a loved one, are injured in a Harrisburg car accident due to the negligence of another driver, contact an experienced Pennsylvania truck accident lawyer at Schmidt Kramer. The toll-free number is (888) 476-0807 or dial 8 at 717-888-8888 and the case evaluation is free. You may wish to download a free copy of our Newsletter for additional information.